Honorary Chairmen: Dorene and Jerry Hammes

Honorary Chairmen

Dorene and Jerry Hammes of South Bend, IN have been named Honorary Chairmen of this year’s “Chicago, Our Kind of Town” event.

The Hammes’s have long been associated with our school. Jerry’s parents, Dorothy and Romy Hammes, gave the land in 1956 when the circle school, St. Patrick Central, was built, and contributed again heavily in 1964 when the rectangle was built and the school renamed Bishop McNamara High School.

Dorene and Jerry have provided funds for the newly instituted Dorothy and Romy Hammes Hall of Honor. Dedication and first inductees should be sometime in early May.

Dorene and Jerry have four children: Geralyn, Susan, John and Jeffery. Jeff Hammes is president of People’s Bank of Kankakee County and in January 2008 was named The Daily Journal’s Young Citizen of the Year.

The Hammes name has long been connected to cars, Romy Hammes owned the Ford dealership in Kankakee. Jerry continues that interest and has re-created the Romy Hammes-Brennan’s 1963 Ford Daytona race car. The car is on display at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend through April 27, 2008. The Hammes-Brennan 1963 Ford and two other of Jerry’s cars will be on display at the “Chicago Auto Show” tent at Bishop McNamara’s auction on May 3.